The Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government has allowed bike taxis to operate in urban areas including Mumbai. This is good news for companies like Rapido, Ola and Uber. However, the state government has announced regulations for these companies.
App-based aggregators must have a fleet of at least 50 two-wheelers, for which a registration fee of one lakh rupees will be charged. According to the rules framed by the state government, a fee of INR 5 lakh will be levied for aggregators with a fleet of more than 10,000.
Bike taxis are allowed to operate within a radius of 10 km in Mumbai and 5 km in other cities. The regulation states that all bikes must be equipped with GPS. Registration and basic training of two-wheeler pilots will also be mandatory for aggregators.
State Transport Commissioner Vivek Bhimankar said that a government notification along with other details is likely to be issued soon. This will be an app based fleet service and will be convenient for passengers. He also added that bike taxis will help reduce traffic in cities. According to the state government's vehicle registration data, there are 28 lakh two-wheelers in Mumbai, including 6 lakh scooters.
The central government's policy on two-wheeler taxis implemented in 2022 needs to be implemented. Chief Minister Shinde decided to sanction bike taxis in a recent meeting after being told by the state transport department. Two-wheeler taxis were approved by the central government two years ago. However, the state governments are entrusted with the responsibility of making regulations and granting licences.
Although the Maharashtra government has now approved bike taxis, rickshaw and taxi associations have expressed opposition. Shashank Rao, President of the Autorickshaw Drivers-Owners Association Joint Action Committee, said that bike taxis are not a threat to our business but are not safe.
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